This section describes background subject matter related to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention. There is no intention, either express or implied, that the background art discussed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
Gutter cleaning devices have been available prior to the present apparatus. A number of devices have attempted to provide a means of removing leaves and other debris which form a semi-solid sludge within a gutter. However, the previous devices have been problematic, particularly when the debris to be removed includes pine needles or twigs in combination with the leaves and dirt which gradually accumulate, particularly in the fall of the year. Many of the previous devices include motors or other features which make the device heavy and difficult to carry.
Examples of previous devices used for gutter cleaning include those described in the representative references which follow. U.K. Patent Application GB 2170877A of Stanley Williams, published on Aug. 13, 1986, discloses a device which can be fitted onto the end of a hollow handle which is connected to a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. The device is designed to cut waste such as soil or leaves which are present in guttering or drains. (Abstract). The device includes a circular tube with a cutting edge to cut through waste which could block the tube leading to another tube which feeds the vacuum cleaner. (Specification and Claims) The sole FIGURE shows a cutting shape present in the leading face of a tubular-shaped device. Material to be pulled into the tube leading to the vacuum cleaner must pass through the leading face containing the non-moving cutting shape. This reduces the strength of the vacuum available to move the debris along its way to the collection area of the vacuum cleaner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,187 to Wayne Higgins, issued Oct. 15, 1991 describes an attachment for a vacuum system used to clean eave troughs of a building from ground level. The attachment includes an arcuately-shaped, semi-rigid tubular member which connects to an elongated tube of a vacuum system. The curvature and dimensions of the arcuate attachment are said to allow the operator of the vacuum system to raise the attachment up to the eve trough and insert the free end of the attachment into the trough. A mirror is mounted on the intrados surface of the arcuate attachment, to permit the operator standing on the ground to view the inner bottom surface of the trough which is being cleaned. The free end of the attachment tapers to a smaller diameter to facilitate mounting of other attachments thereto. The free end of the attachment is said to have a plurality of axial slits which prevent clogging of the attachment. (Abstract). The axial slits are also said to prevent the end portion from becoming stuck to the bottom of the trough. Various secondary attachments are said to be applied to the free, open end of the arcuately-shaped tubular attachment. The only secondary attachment illustrated is one which narrows to a flat section, similar to a vacuum cleaner attachment designed to reach into narrow openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,209 to Watkins, issued Mar. 23, 1993, describes a gutter cleaning system which includes a canister type vacuum cleaner with tubular wand sections and a nozzle adapted to be inserted into a gutter. The nozzle carries an optical viewing system such as a fiber optic device of a television camera enabling the operator to observe the cleaning operation as it is performed. The canister type vacuum cleaner is illustrated as one which can be carried over the back of the operator of the system. In addition to the canister, the system includes a bag. During operation, wet debris is said to fall into the canister where it is collected. Dry dirt, leaves and the like are said to pass through an impeller (located at the top of the canister) and to pass through to the collecting bag. The canister is shown to have a motorized impeller, and the complete system appears to be bulky and problematic to manipulate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,782 to Hall, issued Feb. 13, 2001 pertains to a rain gutter cleaning system which has an agitator head that is mounted at the top end of a long suction head and pole, where the agitator head is supported by the suction head and pole. A vacuum pump on the ground is connected to bring the rain gutter debris down the suction tube and into a collection bag. The agitator head includes rotating paddles to tear and break up tangles and clogs encountered in a rain gutter, and has a rotating auger screw inside that helps direct the loosened debris down the throat of the suction tube. A camera mounted atop the agitator head allows an operator on the ground below to see the inside of the rain gutter on a small monitor screen. (Abstract) The system may include a back pack power unit. The opening of the adaptor tube is said to be fitted with a paddle wheel or rotating string device, similar in appearance to a weed-eater, but smaller, which is used to break up any matter leaves or other debris. This is said to make the vacuuming go quicker and to aid in preventing clogging of a material in the vacuum tube. This unit also appears to be very bulky, heavy and complex to operate.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. US 2001/0042284 A1 of Judy Gutry, published Nov. 22, 2001, describes a gutter cleaner having a head and a handle. The head is tubular and has a bend and a nozzle. The bend curves in two perpendicular directions, through one angle of 135° to 195° and another angle of 15° to 60°. The nozzle has an egress with one dimension being narrower than the other. The head and the handle slidably fit together and are secured to fix their relative positions. The lower end of the handle is adapted to attach to a vacuum source. The handle has a textured surface for gripping and eyelets for removably detaching a shoulder strap. Optionally the handle has two sections that are slidably fitted together and that can be secured relative to each other. (Abstract)
U.S. Published Patent Application No. U.S. 2004/0020516 of Don Martin Buckner, published Feb. 5, 2004 discloses a method of removing debris from a roof gutter, which includes the steps of providing a vacuum conduit having a first end located in proximity to the debris in the gutter and a second end connected to a vacuum tank which has a vacuum producing means. The first end of the vacuum conduit has a water and/or air dispensing means to dislodge or make vacuum able the debris located within the gutter. Mechanical means may be utilized in proximity of the first end of the vacuum conduit to break up debris. A monitoring means may be utilized in proximity to the first end of the vacuum conduit to monitor vacuuming progress and/or control the vacuum and or debris dislodging means.
The various apparatus described above are exemplary of the kinds of apparatus which are known in the art. The apparatuses vary in complexity; however, all of the apparatuses include a source of vacuum, a rigid conduit which makes direct contact with the gutter, and a flexible hose from the conduit to the vacuum source. Several of the references describe the use of a mirror or an electric monitoring system of some kind which enables the operator on the ground to observe how well the cleaning is progressing without having to climb up to the level of the gutter. Some of the references describe the use of a mechanical device near the top of the conduit to break up debris before it travels the long distance down the conduit to reach a vacuum collection tank. However, the mechanical devices which are used to break up the debris are relatively complicated and add weight to the top portion of the conduit, making the apparatus heavier and more difficult to control, since this weight is at the end of a long pole or conduit which is high in the air.
The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages of the devices described above, by providing an easy-to-operate, light weight design which can be used to clean the gutters or troughs of buildings which are 1 story or 2 stories in height. The weight of the portion of the apparatus which must be supported by the operator of the apparatus is typically about 6 pounds or less, depending on the attachment which is being used at the end of the apparatus which is in contact with the overhead open conduit. The controls which are needed to control function at the portion of the apparatus which is working adjacent the gutter or trough are present on the portion of the apparatus which is within easy reach of the hands of the operator.